Search

• Semiconductor nanomaterials for cancer nanotheranostics. • Exogenous stimuli used for cancer imaging and therapy. • Endogenous tumor microenvironment (TME) to trigger cancer theranostics. • The challenges and perspective of semiconductor nanomateraials for tumor-specific theranostics. Nanotheranostics utilizing nanoparticles for diagnostics and treatment simultaneously, have attracted tremendous attention in anticancer therapy due to its excellent performance, such as distinct efficiency and specificity to tumor. Semiconductor nanomaterials, as a unique type of nanomaterials, have widely been harnessed for nanotheranostics because of the specific properties including the optical, magnetic and photoresponsive properties. Herein, this review firstly discussed serval types of semiconductor nanoparticles and the distinct properties for the potential biomedical applications. Metal chalcogenides, transition metal oxides and other inorganic semiconductors were overviewed for nanotheranostics application. Meanwhile, in order to improve the theranostics accuracy and efficiency, the exogenous and endogenous stimuli were comprehensively discussed. The exogenous stimuli, including light, magnetism, ultrasound, and radiation, which are commonly employed for imaging and therapy, were subsequently discussed according to the attributes. In addition, the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is well known as pH, reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypoxia, GSH, and enzymes, were tremendously utilized for TME-responsive sensor, therapy and drug release. In the end, the challenges and perspective of semiconductor nanomateraials for tumor-specific theranostics were also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective attention to a spatial location has shown enhance perception and facilitate behaviour for events at attended locations. However, selection relies not only on where but also when an event occurs. Recently, interest has turned to how intrinsic neural oscillations in the brain entrain to rhythms in our environment, and, stimuli appearing in or out of synch with a rhythm have shown to modulate perception and performance. Temporal expectations created by rhythms and spatial attention are two processes which have independently shown to affect stimulus processing but it remains largely unknown how, and if, they interact. In four separate tasks, this study investigated the effects of voluntary spatial attention and bottom-up temporal expectations created by rhythms in both unimodal and crossmodal conditions. In each task the participant used an informative cue, either colour or pitch, to direct their covert spatial attention to the left or right, and respond as quickly as possible to a target. The lateralized target (visual or auditory) was then presented at the attended or unattended side. Importantly, although not task relevant, the cue was a rhythm of either flashes or beeps. The target was presented in or out of sync (early or late) with the rhythmic cue. The results showed participants were faster responding to spatially attended compared to unattended targets in all tasks. Moreover, there was an effect of rhythmic cueing upon response times in both unimodal and crossmodal conditions. Responses were faster to targets presented in sync with the rhythm compared to when they appeared too early in both crossmodal tasks. That is, rhythmic stimuli in one modality influenced the temporal expectancy in the other modality, suggesting temporal expectancies created by rhythms are crossmodal. Interestingly, there was no interaction between top-down spatial attention and rhythmic cueing in any task suggesting these two processes largely influenced behaviour independently.

We have developed a ratiometric fluorescent probe based on ICT mechanism for imaging intracellular sulfite (SO 3 2− ) in HeLa cells. The probe could selectively stain cells with scarce cytotoxicity and excellent photostability. The probe displayed a high selectivity for sulfite over other anions and active small biological molecules including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH) at room temperature. The reaction could complete within 30 s and detection limit was as low as 76 nM, which is superior to some reported probes. The detecting mechanism was proved by MS, 1 H NMR and theoretical calculation. The probe can also detect endogenous sulfite in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salient peripheral cues produce a transient shift of attention which is superseded by a sustained inhibitory effect. Cueing part of an object produces an inhibitory cueing effect (ICE) that spreads throughout the object. In dynamic scenes the ICE stays with objects as they move. We examined object-centred attentional facilitation and inhibition in a patient with visual form agnosia. There was no evidence of object-centred attentional facilitation. In contrast, object-centred ICE was observed in 3 out of 4 tasks. These inhibitory effects were strongest where cues to objecthood were highly salient. These data are evidence of a neuropsychological dissociation between the facilitatory and inhibitory effects of attentional cueing. From a theoretical perspective the findings suggest that ‘grouped arrays’ are sufficient for object-based inhibition, but insufficient to generate object-centred attentional facilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium is critical for maintaining cellular tonicity, propagation of nerve impulses, contraction of cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscles, and normal renal function. The focus of this review is on the pharmacokinetics of potassium, K+, after administration of liquid and solid formulations of potassium chloride, KCl, to healthy subjects. Potassium can be considered an endogenous and exogenous compound. The amounts of endogenous K+ are kept constant by balancing intake and loss of exogenous K+. Food and ingestion of KCl-containing medicines are sources for exogenous K+. In the pharmacokinetic context exogenous K+ from KCl-containing medicines, K+exo,dose, is of primary interest. The distinction between the different K+ entities is critical for obtaining unbiased estimates of the kinetic parameters for K+exo,dose. A literature search using prespecified acceptance criteria was performed. Publications were selected that reported plasma and urine data of K+exo,dose directly or provided information allowing their determination. Additional criteria applied included that the studies used a randomized design and controlled for the important covariates. Most of the selected publications reported urinary excretion data. Only 2 publications also reported plasma concentrations. The excursions of the plasma concentrations of K+exo,dose were considered too small to be of use by most investigators. The aggregate results indicate that urinary recovery data have the potential for providing reliable estimates for bioavailability and bioequivalence of K+exo,dose with KCl-containing formulations. Absorption efficiency, peak rates, and corresponding times of K+exo,dose with liquid formulations are fairly consistent among studies. The mean absorption efficiency of K+exo,dose with solid and liquid formulations of KCl ranges between 70% and 90%. The absorption rate of liquid formulations is rapid, whereas the solid formulations show extended release characteristics. The time-averaged renal clearance of K+exo,dose is about 200 mL/min during daytime and significantly smaller around midnight. Circadian rhythm and delayed homeostatic control of potassium make the pharmacokinetics of K+exo,dose time dependent. The impact of these endogenous controls makes the pharmacokinetics of K+exo,dose unusual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this review is to summarise current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms by which in vivo exposure to exogenous chemical genotoxins in humans induces micronuclei (MNi) and other nuclear anomalies in lymphocytes in vivo and ex vivo after nuclear division in vitro . MNi originate from acentric chromosome fragments and/or whole chromosomes that are unable to engage with the mitotic spindle and/or fail to segregate properly to the daughter nuclei during anaphase. The lagging fragments or whole chromosomes are surrounded by membrane and become MNi. Acentric fragments are caused by failure of repair or mis-repair of DNA strand breaks which may be induced by chemicals that (i) damage the phosphodiester backbone of DNA, and/or (ii) inhibit the DNA damage response mechanisms or repair of DNA strand breaks and/or (iii) cause DNA replication stress due to DNA adduct or cross-link formation. MNi originating from lagging whole chromosomes may be induced by chemicals that cause defects in centromeres or the mitotic machinery. Mis-repair of chemically-induced DNA breaks may also cause formation of dicentric chromosomes and nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs) between daughter nuclei in mitosis. NPBs may break and initiate recurring breakage-fusion-bridge cycles and chromosomal instability. The review also explores knowledge on (i) the routes by which lymphocytes in the human body may be exposed to genotoxic chemicals, (ii) kinetics of MNi expression in lymphocytes in vivo and ex vivo in the lymphocyte cytokinesis-block micronucleus (L-CBMN) assay and (iii) current evidence on the efficiency of the L-CBMN assay in detecting in vivo exposure to chemical genotoxins and its concordance with MNi expression in epithelial tissues. The review also identifies important knowledge gaps (e.g. effect of nanomaterials; interactions with nutritional deficiencies etc.) regarding mechanisms by which in vivo chemical genotoxin exposure may cause MNi formation in lymphocytes in vivo and ex vivo in lymphocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is nearly 35 years since I gave the 7th Sir Frederick Bartlett lecture at Oxford University. This was published as a paper entitled “Orienting of attention in the quarterly journal”. The topic was then primarily in psychology, but now equally often in neuroscience. This paper summarizes the background of the reaction time methods used in the original paper and findings that emerged later on the sensory consequences of orienting, mainly in the visual system. It then discusses the brain network that is the source of the sensory amplification and other brain networks that are involved in attention. Next, it reviews studies of the development of attentional networks in early life. Finally, it indicates how the new tools available to explore the human brain can lead to further progress. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An advanced exergy analysis of the Ethane recovery plant in the South Pars gas field is presented. An industrial refrigeration cycle with propane refrigerant is investigated by the exergy analysis method. The equations of exergy destruction and exergetic efficiency for the main cycle units such as evaporators, condensers, compressors, and expansion valves are developed. Exergetic efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is determined to be 33.9% indicating a high potential for improvements. The simulation results reveal that the exergy loss and exergetic efficiencies of the air cooler and expansion sections respectively are the lowest among the compartments of the cycle. The coefficient of performance (COP) is obtained as 2.05. Four parts of irreversibility (avoidable/unavoidable) and (endogenous/exogenous) are calculated for the units with highest inefficiencies. The advanced exergy analysis reveals that the exergy destruction has two major contributors: (1) 59.61% of the exergy is lost in the unavoidable form in all units and (2) compressors contribute to 25.47% of the exergy destruction. So there is a high potential for improvement for these units, since 63.38% of this portion is avoidable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main problems facing the Colombian Higher Education System concerns high levels of dropout in the undergraduate program, the degree program in Natural Sciences and Environmental Education, Faculty of Education and Human Sciences of the University of Cordoba, Is foreign to this reality. In relation to this problem, the purpose of this research was to characterize and describe the factors that influence the dropout of the program in the period 2011 - 2015. The research was of mixed nature, interviews and surveys were applied to the sample. It is concluded that the factors that influence this phenomenon are the economic factor, lack of vocational guidance, lack of motivation, city change and paternity, to a lesser extent. Finally, this study ends with the proposal of strategies that help to mitigate the problem of desertion, based on the voices of teachers, students, managers and administrators of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of information science can be analyzed following several steps. First, there is the issue of the angle of analysis, which can be oriented in two directions: (a) to consider information science from the point of view of its boundaries as scientific endeavor (i.e., as a scientific rather than a non-scientific activity); and (b) to focus information science from the perspective of its possible confines in the present context as well as in the future. Second, the limits of information science also depend on its own scientific status. In this regard, this paper characterizes information science as an applied science of design, i.e., as a kind of science of the artificial oriented toward the solution of concrete issues in the sphere of archives, libraries, and centers of documentation. This characterization as applied science of design involves the analysis of limits of the structural and dynamic elements of this science of the artificial, such as aims, processes, and results. Third, besides the endogenous aspects of this problem-solving task in an artificial domain (which are commonly the case of aims, processes, and results), the limits of information science also depend on exogenous features, which are those elements (social, cultural, economic, political, ecological, etc.) that surround this scientific endeavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the UVB-independent and exogenous indirect photoinactivation of eight human health-relevant bacterial species in the presence of photosensitizers. Methods and Results Eight bacterial species were exposed to simulated sunlight with greatly reduced UVB light intensity in the presence of three synthetic photosensitizers and two natural photosensitizers. Inactivation curves were fit with shoulder log-linear or first-order kinetic models, from which the presence of a shoulder and magnitude of inactivation rate constants were compared. Eighty-four percent reduction in the UVB light intensity roughly matched a 72-95% reduction in the overall bacterial photoinactivation rate constants in sensitizer-free water. With the UVB light mostly reduced, the exogenous indirect mechanism contribution was evident for most bacteria and photosensitizers tested, although most prominently with the Gram-positive bacteria. Conclusions Results confirm the importance of UVB light in bacterial photoinactivation and, with the reduction of the UVB light intensity, that the Gram-positive bacteria are more vulnerable to the exogenous indirect mechanism than Gram-negative bacteria. Significance and Impact of the Study UVB is the most important range of the sunlight spectrum for bacterial photoinactivation. In aquatic environments where photosensitizers are present and there is high UVB light attenuation, UVA and visible wavelengths can contribute to exogenous indirect photoinactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total exergy destruction occurring in a component is not only due to the component itself (endogenous exergy destruction) but is also caused by the inefficiencies of the remaining system components (exogenous exergy destruction). Hence care must be taken in using the total exergy destruction of a component for making decisions to optimize the overall energy system. In this paper, a complex industrial plant is analyzed by splitting the component's exergy destruction into its endogenous part (the part resulting totally from the component's irreversibilities) and its exogenous part (resulting from the irreversibilities of the other components within the system). It is observed that the steam generator has the dominant effect. From the total exergy destruction in the steam generator, 1,097.63 kW or 96.95% come from internal irreversibilities in the component, while the influence of other components on the loss of useful work in the steam generator is only 3.05%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a dealkylation reaction of organophosphorus (OP)-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Despite many studies to date, aged AChE cannot be reactivated directly by traditional pyridinium oximes. This review summarizes strategies that are potentially valuable in the treatment against aging in OP poisoning. Among them, retardation of aging seeks to lower the rate of aging through the use of AChE effectors. These drugs should be administered before AChE is completely aged. For postaging treatment, realkylation of aged AChE by appropriate alkylators may pave the way for oxime treatment by neutralizing the oxyanion at the active site of aged AChE. The other two strategies, upregulation of AChE expression and introduction of exogenous AChE, cannot resurrect aged AChE but may compensate for lowered active AChE levels by in situ production or external introduction of active AChE. Upregulation of AChE expression can be triggered by some peptides. Sources of exogenous AChE can be whole blood or purified AChE, either from human or nonhuman species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon monoxide (CO) has long been considered an environmental pollutant and a poison. Exogenous exposure to amounts of CO beyond the physiologic level of the body can result in a protective or adaptive response. However, as a gasotransmitter, endogenous CO is important for multiple physiologic functions. To date, at least seven distinct methods of delivering CO have been utilized in animal and clinical studies. In this mini-review, we summarize the exogenous CO delivery methods and compare their advantages and disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant phenology is one of the strongest indicators of ecological responses to climate change, and altered phenology can have pronounced effects on net primary production, species composition in local communities, greenhouse gas fluxes, and ecosystem processes. Although many studies have shown that aboveground plant phenology advances with warmer temperatures, demonstration of a comparable association for belowground phenology has been lacking because the factors that influence root phenology are poorly understood. Because roots can constitute a large fraction of plant biomass, and root phenology may not respond to warming in the same way as shoots, this represents an important knowledge gap in our understanding of how climate change will influence phenology and plant performance. We review studies of root phenology and provide suggestions to direct future research. Only 29% of examined studies approached root phenology quantitatively, strongly limiting interpretation of results across studies. Therefore, we suggest that researchers emphasize quantitative analyses in future phenological studies. We suggest that root initiation, peak growth, and root cessation may be under different controls. Root initiation and cessation may be more constrained by soil temperature and the timing of carbon availability, whereas the timing of peak root growth may represent trade-offs among competing plant sinks. Roots probably do not experience winter dormancy in the same way as shoots: 89% of the studies that examined winter phenology found evidence of growth during winter months. More research is needed to observe root phenology, and future studies should be careful to capture winter and early season phenology. This should be done quantitatively, with direct observations of root growth utilizing rhizotrons or minirhizotrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutions are patterns of social activity that design roles for persons as social actors, service and are serviced by other institutions, and operate as systems. The main activity inside institutions that is utilized to complete the service responsibilities -- which includes production -- is the formulation and enforcement of rules, regulations, and requirements. The concepts of closed systems, endogeneity, and self-organized systems have been offered as being relevant for the analysis of institutional systems. As explained here, those concepts are inconsistent with the processing of real-world institutions. When conducting analysis inside institutions, it is necessary to recognize, observe, and model the rules, regulations, and requirements which are formulated to be consistent with the normative belief, technological, and ecological criteria of institutions. Generally, social scientists have emphasized belief criteria, and ignored technological and ecological criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salient peripheral cues produce a transient shift of attention which is superseded by a sustained inhibitory effect. Cueing part of an object produces an inhibitory cueing effect (ICE) that spreads throughout the object. In dynamic scenes the ICE stays with objects as they move. We examined object-centred attentional facilitation and inhibition in a patient with visual form agnosia. There was no evidence of object-centred attentional facilitation. In contrast, object-centred ICE was observed in 3 out of 4 tasks. These inhibitory effects were strongest where cues to objecthood were highly salient. These data are evidence of a neuropsychological dissociation between the facilitatory and inhibitory effects of attentional cueing. From a theoretical perspective the findings suggest that ‘grouped arrays’ are sufficient for object-based inhibition, but insufficient to generate object-centred attentional facilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To identify the relationship between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and the risk of fracture, we conducted a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Results showed that subclinical hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of fracture, especially in elder. Introduction: There are conflicting data on the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and the risk of fracture. This study is aimed at providing a summary of prospective evidence of the relationship between subclinical thyroid dysfunction and the risk of fracture. Methods: We systematically searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Chinese Biomedical literature database (CBM) from 1974 to August 2014 to identify prospective cohort studies which have studied the risk of fracture in patients with subclinical thyroid dysfunction. Various fractures were reported as the sole outcome. Results: Five population-based cohort studies including 314,146 participants with relationship of endogenous or exogenous subclinical thyroid dysfunction or euthyroidism and fractures were identified as eligible for the meta-analysis. In an unadjusted model, the relative risk (RR) of subclinical hypothyroidism for fracture was 1.30 (CI 1.08-1.56). Risk estimates were lower in a multivariable-adjusted model (RR = 1.20, CI 0.70-2.04) and when higher quality studies (RR = 0.95, CI 0.58-1.57) were analyzed. For subclinical hyperthyroidism, the RR was 1.52 (CI 1.33-1.73) in unadjusted model and 1.25 (CI 1.11-1.41) in a multivariable-adjusted model. An analysis of higher quality studies revealed a RR 1.18 (CI 1.07-1.29). Subgroup analysis indicated that the RR for risk of fracture was higher in the endogenous group than the exogenous group, taking thyroid-altering medicine in subclinical hyperthyroidism. Similar finding was also demonstrated in subclinical hypothyroidism. Conclusions: Despite heterogeneity across the studies, data suggest that subclinical hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased risk of fracture in the population older than 60 years. No evidence could prove a definite association between subclinical hypothyroidism and the risk of fracture yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine whether glucose-fructose ( GF) ingestion, relative to glucose-only, would alter performance, metabolism, gastrointestinal ( GI) symptoms, and psychological affect during prolonged running. On two occasions, 20 runners (14 men) completed a 120-min submaximal run followed by a 4-mile time trial ( TT). Participants consumed glucose-only (G) or GF (1.2:1 ratio) beverages, which supplied ∼ 1.3 g/min of carbohydrate. Substrate use, blood lactate, psychological affect [Feeling Scale ( FS)], and GI distress were measured. Differences between conditions were assessed using magnitude-based inferential statistics. Participants completed the TT 1.9% (−1.9; −4.2, 0.4) faster with GF, representing a likely benefit. FS ratings were possibly higher and GI symptoms were possibly-to-likely lower with GF during the submaximal period and TT. Effect sizes for GI distress and FS ratings were relatively small ( Cohen's d = ∼0.2 to 0.4). GF resulted in possibly higher fat oxidation during the submaximal period. No clear differences in lactate were observed. In conclusion, GF ingestion - compared with glucose-only - likely improves TT performance after 2 h of submaximal running, and GI distress and psychological affect are likely mechanisms. These results apply to runners consuming fluid at 500-600 mL/h and carbohydrate at 1.0-1.3 g/min during running at 60-70% VO2peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endogenous metabolites excreted by organisms into their surrounding environment, termed the exometabolome, are important for many processes including chemical communication. In fish biology, such metabolites are also known to be informative markers of physiological status. While metabolomics is increasingly used to investigate the endogenous biochemistry of organisms, no non-targeted studies of the metabolic complexity of fish exometabolomes have been reported to date. In environmental chemistry, Chemcatcher® (Portsmouth, UK) passive samplers have been developed to sample for micro-pollutants in water. Given the importance of the fish exometabolome, we sought to evaluate the capability of Chemcatcher® samplers to capture a broad spectrum of endogenous metabolites excreted by fish and to measure these using non-targeted direct infusion mass spectrometry metabolomics. The capabilities of C18 and styrene divinylbenzene reversed-phase sulfonated (SDB-RPS) Empore™ disks for capturing non-polar and polar metabolites, respectively, were compared. Furthermore, we investigated real, complex metabolite mixtures excreted from two model fish species, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). In total, 344 biological samples and 28 QC samples were analysed, revealing 646 and 215 m/z peaks from trout and stickleback, respectively. The measured exometabolomes were principally affected by the type of Empore™ (Hemel Hempstead, UK) disk and also by the sampling time. Many peaks were putatively annotated, including several bile acids (e.g., chenodeoxycholate, taurocholate, glycocholate, glycolithocholate, glycochenodeoxycholate, glycodeoxycholate). Collectively these observations show the ability of Chemcatcher® passive samplers to capture endogenous metabolites excreted from fish.

Peripheral nerve innervation is essential for regulating tissue repair and regeneration. MAA-based biomaterials have been previously shown to promote angiogenesis. Here we show a new role for MAA-based biomaterials in promoting terminal axon nerve growth. Our results demonstrate that MAA-based biomaterials promote peripheral nerve growth in an Igf-1 and Shh dependent manner. The resulting nerves increased the sensitivity of treated mice paws to nociception. iDISCO clearing showed that MAA increased the presence of peripheral nerve structures in whole explants. MAA was also able to increase the expression of key neuronal markers and growth factors in a peripheral neuropathy model, the diabetic db/db mouse, suggesting that MAA-based biomaterials may be relevant to treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Moreover, in a peripheral neuropathy model, MAA was able to up-regulate the expression of growth factors for an extended duration suggesting MAA may prevent degeneration through an effect on factors that promote survival. As all tissues are innervated, MAA-based biomaterials could have broad applications in the promoting regeneration and preventing degeneration of peripheral nerves. • Methacrylic acid-based biomaterials promote axon growth in-situ without exogenous growth factors or cells. • Methacrylic acid-based biomaterial induced terminal axon growth displays nociception, an indicator of functional outgrowth. • Methacrylic acid-based biomaterials terminal axon growth is Igf-1 and Shh driven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this brief note, the author attempts to respond to Amadeo Gambino’s comment on the article “Some Issues in Monetary Economics” regarding the classification of the nominal money stock as an exogenous variable. JEL: E51, E40

In this brief note, the author comments on David I. Fand’s “Some Issues in Monetary Economics”, raising several questions on the sharp distinction that Fand draws between the nominal money stock and the real money stock and the criteria used in classifying variables as exogenous or endogenous. JEL: E51, E40

In this brief rejoinder the author responds David I. Fand’s clarification regarding the classification of the nominal money stock as exogenous or endogenous based on whether or not the variable is controlled by the monetary authorities. JEL: E51, E40

Processing of sensory information relies on interacting mechanisms of sustained attention and attentional capture, both of which operate in space and on object features. While evidence indicates that exogenous attentional capture, a mechanism previously understood to be automatic, can be eliminated while concurrently performing a demanding task, we reframe this phenomena within the theoretical framework of the ‘attention set’ (Most et al., 2005). Consequently, the specific prediction that cuing effects should reappear when feature dimensions of the cue overlap with those in the attention set (i.e., elements of the demanding task) was empirically tested and confirmed using a dual-task paradigm involving both sustained attention and attentional capture, adapted from Santangelo et al. (2007). Participants were required to either detect a centrally presented target presented in a stream of distractors (the primary task), or respond to a spatially cued target (the secondary task). Importantly, the spatial cue could either share features with the target in the centrally presented primary task, or not share any features. Overall, results supported the attention set hypothesis showing that a spatial cuing effect was only observed when the peripheral cue shared a feature with objects that were already in the attention set (i.e., the primary task). However, this finding was accompanied by differential attentional orienting dependent on the different types of objects within the attention set, with feature-based orienting occurring for target-related objects, and additional spatial-based orienting for distractor-related objects.

Stimuli-responsive drug delivery has attracted tremendous attention in the past decades. It provides a spatial- and temporal-controlled release in response to different triggers, thus enabling highly efficient drug delivery and minimizing drug side effects. Graphene-based nanomaterials have been broadly explored, and they show great potential in smart drug delivery due to their stimuli-responsive behavior and high loading capacity for an extended range of drug molecules. These characteristics are a result of high surface area, mechanical stability and chemical stability, and excellent optical, electrical, and thermal properties. Their great and infinite functionalization potential also allows them to be integrated into several types of polymers, macromolecules, or other nanoparticles, leading to the fabrication of novel nanocarriers with enhanced biocompatibility and trigger-sensitive properties. Thus, numerous studies have been dedicated to graphene modification and functionalization. In the current review, we introduce graphene derivatives and different graphene-based nanomaterials utilized in drug delivery and discuss the most important advances in their functionalization and modification. Also, their potential and progress in an intelligent drug release in response to different types of stimuli either endogenous (pH, redox conditions, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)) or exogenous (temperature, near-infrared (NIR) radiation, and electric field) will be debated., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Khakpour, Salehi, Naghib, Ghorbanzadeh and Zhang.)

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) is a retrovirus that infects domestic and wild cats around the world. FeLV infection is associated with the development of neoplasms, bone marrow disorders and immunosuppression. Viral subgroups arise from mutations in the FeLV genome or from recombination of FeLV with ancestral endogenous retroviruses in the cat genome. The retroviral endogenisation process has allowed generation of a diversity of endogenous viruses, both functional and defective. These elements may be part of the normal functioning of the feline genome and may also interact with FeLV to form recombinant FeLV subgroups, enhance pathogenicity of viral subgroups, or inhibit and/or regulate other retroviral infections. Recombination of the env gene occurs most frequently and appears to be the most significant in terms of both the quantity and diversification of pathogenic effects in the viral population, as well as affecting cell tropism and types of disease that occur in infected cats. This review focuses on available information regarding genetic diversity, pathogenesis and diagnosis of FeLV as a result of the interaction between endogenous and exogenous viruses.

ELISA is a well-established technique used worldwide to quantify analytes present in a diverse milieu of biological samplings. It is especially important to clinicians who rely on the accuracy and precision of the test to administer patient care. Those results are to be held with great scrutiny since the assay is subject to error caused by interfering substances found in the sample matrix. In this chapter, we examine the nature of such interferences and discuss approaches to identify and offer remedies to remove the interference and validate the assay., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Forage seeds are a highly traded agricultural commodity, and therefore, quality control and assurance is high priority. In this study, we have used direct analysis in real time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS) as a tool to discriminate forage seeds based on their non-targeted chemical profiles. In the first experiment, two lots of perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) seed were discriminated based on exogenous residues of N-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)- N, N-dimethylurea (Diuron), a herbicide. In a separate experiment, washed and unwashed seeds of the forage legumes white clover ( Trifolium repens L.) and alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) were discriminated based on the presence or absence of oxylipins, a class of endogenous antimicrobial compounds. Unwashed seeds confer toxicity towards symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia which are routinely coated on legume seeds before planting, resulting in reduced rhizobial count. This is the first report of automatic introduction of intact seeds in the DART ion source and detecting oxylipins using DART-MS. Apart from providing scope to investigate legume-rhizobia symbiosis further in the context of oxylipins, the results presented here will enable future studies aimed at classification of seeds based on chemicals bound to the seed coat, thereby offering an efficient screening device for industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a deadly neurotoxin which selectively inhibits Na+ activation mechanism of nerve impulse, without affecting the permeability of K+ ions. Because of this sodium channel blocking action, it is majorly being studied for biomedical applications. TTX is present in taxonomically diverse groups of animals inhabiting terrestrial, marine, fresh water and brackish water environments, still its origin remains unclear. The extensive study of the toxin has revealed a few possibilities of its origin. This review reports on the aspects of the origin of TTX, where the primary focus is on its exogenous origin. The significance of bacterial, cellular and environmental factors in its biogenesis and accumulation is also discussed. The possible facets for engineering the bacterial genomics to modulate the gene expression for TTX production are also outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigmentations are commonly found in the mouth. They represent in various clinical patterns that can range from just physiologic changes to oral manifestations of systemic diseases and malignancies. Color changes in the oral mucosa can be attributed to the deposition of either endogenous or exogenous pigments as a result of various mucosal diseases. The various pigmentations can be in the form of blue/purple vascular lesions, brown melanotic lesions, brown heme-associated lesions, gray/black pigmentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the review was to provide an overview of studies investigating the pharmacokinetics of exogenous melatonin in humans and if possible, to provide recommendations for clinical use. Methods: The review was conducted in accordance to PRISMA guidelines. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed and Embase databases. The pharmacokinetic variables included maximal plasma/serum concentration (C), time to maximal plasma/serum concentration (T), elimination half-life (T), area-under-the-curve plasma/serum concentrations (AUC), clearance (Cl), volume of distribution (V), and bioavailability. Results: The literature search identified 392 records. Twenty-two studies were included in the review. Melatonin dosages varied between 0.3 and 100 mg and were administered either orally or intravenously. C ranged from 72.1 (10 ml/h; 0.02 mg, IV) to 101,163 pg/ml (100 mg, oral). T ranged between 15 (2 mg) and 210 min (10 mg). T ranged from 28 (0.005 mg, IV) to 126 min (4 mg, oral), whereas AUC ranged between 5400 (0.005 mg, IV) and 6.56 × 10 pg/ml × min (1 mg, oral). Cl ranged from 0.97 (0.005 mg, IV) to 132.50 L/min (6 mg, oral), whereas V ranged between 35 (0.005 mg, IV) and 1602 L (4 mg, oral). Bioavailability of oral melatonin ranged from 9 to 33 %. Pharmacokinetics was affected by age, caffeine, smoking, oral contraceptives, feeding status, and fluvoxamine. Critically ill patients displayed accelerated absorption and compromised elimination. Conclusions: Despite methodological differences between the included studies, T was approximately 50 min following oral immediate-release formulations of melatonin. T was 45 min in both administration routes. C, AUC, Cl, and V varied extensively between studies. Bioavailability of oral melatonin was approximately 15 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undeniably, crime is a pervasive phenomenon in contemporary society. Many times, we wondered why people commit crimes. Surely, the answer depends on diverse academic backgrounds. What we see is the effect of crime and the ways of committing it, but what is really important is its causality, the reasons that determine individuals to have a deviant conduct. Regarding criminal causality, different theories have emerged along time, grouped into three categories: biological, psychological and sociological. No theory is more important than the other, because they complement each other, trying to unravel the mystery of crime causality. Sociological theories question, among other causes, migration and unemployment. Their role in the dynamics of crime is overwhelming. Studies have confirmed that the two criminological factors have a major input into the quantitative and qualitative analysis of crime. Unemployment is closely linked to migration, and this, in turn, is inextricably linked to living standards. Unemployment, as an exogenous crime factor, is related to the individuals' poverty and free time. When they decline, crime will also decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cueing paradigm provides an established method for eliciting involuntary and voluntary attention shifts. Involuntary orienting is traditionally measured with non-predictive peripheral cues and voluntary orienting with predictive central arrows. Recent studies with young adults have established that predictive central arrows trigger a combination of involuntary and voluntary orienting, raising the possibility that previous studies - including those with older adults - misinterpreted their findings with central arrow cues as isolating the effects of voluntary attention. The present experiment applied different cueing conditions that measured involuntary orienting, voluntary orienting, and involuntary and voluntary orienting in combination in older adults. The results show that past studies of voluntary orienting in older adults confound involuntary and voluntary orienting. Cueing effects in a condition that for the first time isolated voluntary orienting (predictive number cues) with older adults were significant, and comparable to effects for younger adults, demonstrating that older adults successfully utilize cues to direct their spatial attention strategically. A similar normal pattern of orienting was observed for involuntary orienting. Our study provides a methodology that can be applied effectively to isolate and investigate the effects of age on voluntary and involuntary attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a search for antecedents' latent variables of organisational commitment from organisational health, occupational role stress, and social support for Indian Nationalised Bank Managers was made. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to assess the fit of the model that identified autonomy, cohesiveness, goal focus, role overload, and responsibility for the person as statistically significant antecedents of organisational commitment. Our models provided a good fit. Direct and indirect effects of exogenous variables on endogenous variables estimated and resultant percent of variance accounted into organisational commitment reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisensory integration (MSI) and spatial attention are both mechanisms through which the processing of sensory information can be facilitated. Studies on the interaction between spatial attention and MSI have mainly focused on the interaction between endogenous spatial attention and MSI. Most of these studies have shown that endogenously attending a multisensory target enhances MSI. It is currently unclear, however, whether and how exogenous spatial attention and MSI interact. In the current study, we investigated the interaction between these two important bottom-up processes in two experiments. In Experiment 1 the target location was task-relevant, and in Experiment 2 the target location was task-irrelevant. Valid or invalid exogenous auditory cues were presented before the onset of unimodal auditory, unimodal visual, and audiovisual targets. We observed reliable cueing effects and multisensory response enhancement in both experiments. To examine whether audiovisual integration was influenced by exogenous spatial attention, the amount of race model violation was compared between exogenously attended and unattended targets. In both Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, a decrease in MSI was observed when audiovisual targets were exogenously attended, compared to when they were not. The interaction between exogenous attention and MSI was less pronounced in Experiment 2. Therefore, our results indicate that exogenous attention diminishes MSI when spatial orienting is relevant. The results are discussed in terms of models of multisensory integration and attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major aspect of the 'China Model', urbanization in China is being heatedly discussed in the Anglophone literature in the last two decades. By considering China's urbanization as a 'testing ground' of 'western' theories, these studies are important for the understanding of China's ongoing urban restructuring and exchanging knowledge with 'western' insights. Based on a survey of existing studies, this paper identifies various endogenous and exogenous concepts and explanations of China's urbanization. It is suggested that China's urbanization is mainly driven by a combination of political decentralization and neoliberalization with various forms of social stratification and mobility. However, it is argued that the distinctness of the 'China Model', which is usually used to support the legitimacy of studies of China's urbanization, has led to many controversial arguments and diminished the due contributions of Chinese scholars in the knowledge production of China's urbanization. To consolidate the legitimacy of studies on China's urbanization and enhance the roles of Chinese scholars, we suggest future studies to pay more attentions to the fundamental theories with looser constraints and 'true questions' on Chi [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophthalmitis is an uncommon diagnosis but can have devastating visual outcomes. Endophthalmitis may be endogenous or exogenous. Exogenous endophthalmitis is caused by introduction of pathogens through mechanisms such as ocular surgery, open-globe trauma, and intravitreal injections. Endogenous endophthalmitis occurs as a result of hematogenous spread of bacteria or fungi into the eye. These categories of endophthalmitis have different risk factors and causative pathogens, and thus require different diagnostic, prevention, and treatment strategies. Novel diagnostic techniques such as real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) have been reported to provide improved diagnostic results over traditional culture techniques and may have a more expanded role in the future. While the role of povidone-iodine in prophylaxis of postoperative endophthalmitis is established, there remains controversy with regard to the effectiveness of other measures, including prophylactic antibiotics. The Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study (EVS) has provided us with valuable treatment guidelines. However, these guidelines cannot be directly applied to all categories of endophthalmitis, highlighting the need for continued research into attaining improved treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]